September Midday Program

What better way to spend Friday the 13th than in the company of printers, prevaricators, peddlers, and penny broadsides?

In early modern London, where newspapers were a sevenpence luxury, broadsides were the affordable single-sheet news source for the masses. They specialized in singing the praises of criminals who could capture the public’s imagination through a bold prison break, a brazen break-in, a terrifying and deadly encounter, and a tearful repentance in the shadow of the gallows. The modern newsroom adage that if it bleeds it leads draws its inspiration from these tales … as did (and do) a host of novels and detective stories.

Join us as Nora Davies recounts the story in a generously illustrated program. Nora will be coming to us from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. As a digital asset specialist Davies provides instruction on copyright, cataloging, image research, editing, and more. Worry not, Chicagoans, Nora’s Midwest bona fides include an English degree from nearby Beloit College and an MLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Cozy up to Zoom and be transported to the crowded, noisy streets of London. But don’t worry about pickpockets or cutpurses … we’ll keep your reservation safe!

Live attendance and optional lunch

View Zoom program on eighth floor, Steel Room, Union League Club. Presentation begins at 12:00 PM CT. Optional lunch immediately following in the fourth floor Rendezvous. $35 includes non-alcoholic beverage, a cup of soup, and your choice of sandwich, salad, or hot entree, tax, and tip.

Zoom presentation is free and open to all.

Zoom begins at 12:00PM CT/1:00 PM ET. Preregistration required via website.

Please forward this notice to anyone who may find it of interest.

Transportation to the Union League Club at 65 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago.

The Union League Club is easily accessible through many public transportation methods. Additionally, the following options are available for those who wish to travel by cab or car.

The Union League Club front desk offers a connection to cab service through Curb. The desk will call cabs for members and all guests while allowing riders to remain inside until the cab arrives. No curbside wait. Cabs will accept all payment forms, following the payment procedures you experience with a street-hailed cab.

If you are traveling by car, the Union League Club offers valet parking for Caxton events at $35.00. You must register and prepay in advance through the Caxton Club. Valet parking options will now be included as an option with all event registrations.

Spot Hero is an independent parking option, generally offering spots at the 318 S. Federal Street garage adjacent to the Union League Club. You may reserve and pay for a guaranteed parking spot through the Spot Hero app or website (spothero.com).

September Evening Program

Ann Lindsey is the Head of Conservation at the University of Chicago Library.

Portions of this program were underwritten by a bequest of the estate of Peggy Sullivan.

October Midday Program

“Only one thing is impossible for God: To find any sense in any copyright law on the planet.” – Mark Twain, Letters from the Earth

Leipzig. Tauchnitz. These names probably don’t leap to mind when you consider the history of popularizing American and British culture abroad. Yet one – a city – and the other – a family of German printers and publishers – played a role in doing just that.

Tauchnitz and Leipzig were the reason that in the mid-1920s, at an outdoor cafe in Paris, you might see a young Parisian forgetting to affect ennui while engrossed in Zane Grey’s The Thundering Herd … in English.

An innovator in publishing softcover, or paperbound, books, Tauchnitz produced books in English for distribution beyond US and UK borders. The publisher was popular with American and British authors, because Tauchnitz arranged to pay royalties – unlike publishers who pirated works for distribution beyond the reach of American and UK copyright law.

Join Caxtonian Charles Johanningsmeier as he reveals the fascinating tale of the rise and fall of the all-too-tempting-to-collect Tauchnitz editions. He will be joining us from the University of Nebraska, Omaha, where he occupies the Issacson Chair as Professor of English.

Tune in via Zoom or enjoy an afternoon out at the Union League Club, where we’ll watch the program on a big, plenty loud flat screen TV and then adjourn to enjoy a sumptuous array of luncheon choices. A cup or a bowl of soup, salads, sandwiches made to order, tempting special entrees … all generously portioned. A great value in food and food for thought!

Live attendance and optional lunch

View Zoom program on eighth floor, Steel Room, Union League Club. Presentation begins at 12:00 PM CT. Optional lunch immediately following in the fourth floor Rendezvous. $35 includes non-alcoholic beverage, a cup of soup, and your choice of sandwich, salad, or hot entree, tax, and tip.

Zoom presentation is free and open to all.

Zoom begins at 12:00PM CT/1:00 PM ET. Preregistration required via website.

Please forward this notice to anyone who may find it of interest.

Transportation to the Union League Club at 65 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago.

The Union League Club is easily accessible through many public transportation methods. Additionally, the following options are available for those who wish to travel by cab or car.

The Union League Club front desk offers a connection to cab service through Curb. The desk will call cabs for members and all guests while allowing riders to remain inside until the cab arrives. No curbside wait. Cabs will accept all payment forms, following the payment procedures you experience with a street-hailed cab.

If you are traveling by car, the Union League Club offers valet parking for Caxton events at $35.00. You must register and prepay in advance through the Caxton Club. Valet parking options will now be included as an option with all event registrations.

Spot Hero is an independent parking option, generally offering spots at the 318 S. Federal Street garage adjacent to the Union League Club. You may reserve and pay for a guaranteed parking spot through the Spot Hero app or website (spothero.com).